Vending-machine.



r.' A. SLICHTER. VENDING M AGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED, APR'. 14, 1909.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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UNTED STATES 'FREDERICK A. SLIOHTER, or KANSAS CITY, IvIIssOUI, AssIGNOR or ONE-HALF To WILLIAM H. HOAGLAND, or EL PAso, ILLINOIS.

vENDING-IVIACHINE.

To alt whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. SLici-I'rnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and improved Vending-Niachine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide a new and improved vending machine, more especially designed for use in stores and other places, and arranged to allow convenient delivery of the merchandise' in predetermined quantities, without danger of packing and obstructing the rapid flow of the merchandise, such as seeds of various kinds.

For the purpose mentioned the receptacle for containing the merchandise is provided at its bottom with a delivery chute, and a 1nanually-controlled slide is mounted on the said bottom and extends through opposite sides lof the receptacle, the slide having spaced measuring compartments open at the top and bottom for lilling with the seed or other merchandise contained in the receptacle, and for delivering the seed in measured quantities to the said delivery chute on shifting the slide in either direction, and a cutott' held in the receptacle on top of the slide, to cut off the surplus merchandise from the compartment shifted into delivery position at the time.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the saine; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the same on` the line of Fig'. 2; and Fig. et is a transverse section of a modified form of the improvement.

T he improved vending machine is in the form of a cabinet A, adapted to be set on a counter or other support, and the cabinet is provided at the top with a cover B for filling one, two or more receptacles C, formed within the cabinet A, with seed or other merchandise to be vended. Each of the receptacles G has its bottom D provided with an aperture D, opening' into a downwardly-extending delivery chute E, adapted to deliver the seed or other merchandise in measured quantities into a` paper bag or other vessel. On

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1909.

Patented Oct. 5, 1906i. Serial No. 489,775.

the bottom D within the receptacle C is mounted to slide in a transverse direction a slide F, preferably formed of two side pieces F fitting' into guideways .C arranged in the sides of the receptacle C, and the side pieces F are rigidly connected with each other at or near their middle by a cross bar F2, and the side pieces are also connected with each other by the end pieces F3 spaced from the cross bar F 2, so as to form measuring compartments G and G, adapted to till with the seed or other merchandise contained in the receptacles C. The end pieces F3 may be adjusted nearer to or farther from the cross bar F 2, so as to increase or decrease the sizes of the compartments G and G according to the amount of seed or other merchandise to be sold in a desired measured quantity. For the purpose mentioned the end pieces FiE are fastened by screws F"I to the side pieces F each of the screws F5 engaging one of a series of apertures F1 formed in the side pieces F and screwing into the end pieces F3. Thus by removing. the screws F 5 and shifting the end pieces F3 nearer to or farther from the cross bar F2 and then fastening the end pieces F3 and the side pieces F together by the screws F, the sizes of the compartments G and Gr can be regulated at will.

lVithin each receptacle C, direct-ly above the slide F and in vertical alinement with the chute E is arranged a cut-off H in the form of a` plate, pivoted at H so as to rock and to cut olf the surplus merchandise on shifting the slide F into discharge position. Each side of the cut-off plate is provided with a cani arm H2, adapted to engage the corresponding piece F2 at the time the slide F is shifted so as to swing the opposite side of the plate H down in iirm contact with the upper surface of the slide F. Now the several parts are arranged in such a manner that when the slide F is in the position shown in F 2, the previously filled compartment Gr is in register with the aperture D and the chute E, so that the seed or other merchandise drops out of the compartment (i and through the aperture D and the chute E into a paper bag or other Vessel held below. At the same time the other compartment G fills with seed or other mern chandise contained in the receptacle C, and when the slide F is now shifted from the left to the right then the compartment Gr is moved into delivery position over the chute E while the compartment G is moved into lilling position. As both ends of the slide F project to the outside of the receptacle C, it is evident that the slide can be manipulated from either the front or the rear, and at each shifting of the slide a measured quantity of the material contained in the receptacle C is delivered to the paper bag or other vessel. The sliding movement of the slide F is limited in either direction by stops I attached to the under side of the slide near the outer ends thereof, to abut against the front and rear ends of the bottom D.

For some merchandise it is desirable that it be agitated, to prevent packing within the receptacle C, and for this purpose an agitator is provided, moving with the slide F. The agitator shown in the drawings, consists essentially of a transversely extending bar J, mounted to slide in the front and rear of the receptacle C, and on the bar J are secured depending agitating arms K by the use of set screws L. The outer ends of the bar J are attached to brackets N, secured to the outer ends of the slide F, so that when the latter is shifted, the rod J and the agitating arms K move with the slide, thus agitating the merchandise contained in the receptacle C.

As illustrated in the modified form shown in Fig. 4, the cut-off H3 is peak shaped, with the ends close to the top of the slide and turned up, as indicated at I-It, thus preventing` skimming the surplus seed from the top of the compartment G or Gr in delivery position relative to the chute E.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A vending machine, comprising a receptacle for containing the merchandise, and provided at its bottom with an outlet chute, a manually-controlled measuring and delivering slide mounted to slide over the bottom of the receptacle and provided with spaced measuring compartments open at top and bottom and adapted to register alternately with the said outlet chute on moving the slide forward and backward, and a rocking cut-off mounted in the said receptacle above the slide and above the said outlet chute.

Li. A vending machine, comprising a receptacle for containing the merchandise and provided at its bottom with an outlet chute, a manually-controlled measuring and delivering slide mounted to slide over the bottom of the receptacle and provided with spaced measuring compartments open at top and bottom and adapted to register alternately with the said outlet chute on vmoving the slide forward and backward, a rocking cutoff mounted in the said receptacle above the slide and above the said outlet chute, and

means whereby the slide will alternately rock the cut-off in opposite directions on shifting the slide forward and backward.

3. A vending machine, comprising a receptacle for containing the merchandise and provided at its bottom with an outlet chute, a manually-controlled measuring and delivering slide momited to slide over the bot-tom of the receptacle and provided with spaced measuring compartments open at top and bottom and adapted to register alternately with the said outlet chute on moving the slide forward and backward, a rocking cutoff mounted in the said receptacle above the slide and above the said outlet chute, and cam arms on the said cut-off for engagement with the said slide to rock the cut-ofil in opposite directions on shifting the slide forward and backward.

l. A vending machine, comprising a receptacle for containing t-he merchandise and provided at its bottom with an outlet chute, a manually-controlled measuring and delivering slide mounted to slide over the bottom of the receptacle and provided with spaced measuring compartments open at top and bot-tom and adapted to register alternately with the said outlet chute on moving the slide forward and backward, and an agitator comprising a bar transversely slidable of the said receptacle and connected with the said slide to move with the latter.

A vending machine, comprising a receptacle for containing the merchandise, and provided at its bottom with an outlet chute, a manually-controlled measuring and delivering slide mounted to slide over the bottom of the receptacle and provided with spaced measuring compartments open at top and bot-tom and adapted to register alternately Awith the said outlet chute on moving the slide forward and backward, a rod extending through the front and rear of the receptacle and provided with depending stirring arms reaching approximately to the top of the slide, and brackets on the outer ends of the slide for supporting the terminals of the rod.

6. A vending machine comprising a casing provided with a bottom outlet, a slide movable transversely of the casing and provided with a plurality of openings therethrough arranged in alinement longitudinally of the slide and adapted to register alternately with the outlet when the slide is shifted longitudinally, and a swinging scraper above the outlet and coperating with the upper face of the slide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK A. SLICHTER. vWitnesses ANNA C. SLrci-rrnn, ADA G. SLIoi-i'rnn. 

